I’ve been doing Sat Kriya daily for several years now and it’s amazing how you intuitively learn little things from the meditation and the changes that you go through.
When I first started, my right arm would fall asleep and I’d sweat like hell. When I got up to 31 minutes my legs would fall asleep pretty bad, even with a big pillow between my legs, but eventually the legs got stronger and even if they fell asleep a little it wasn’t so bad. They always got back to normal and it actually greatly improved the circulation in my legs. After some time in the practice though I began to notice great things. My navel was getting much stronger and my hips were opening up. My lung capacity has increased. Now that the energy was getting into the upper centers my meditiations, particularly while chanting in the morning began to go much, much deeper.
Here are some tips and pointers from my experience…
**Always Tune In with the Adi Mantra 3 times before beginning any Kundalini Yoga Kriya or Meditation. Click Here for instructions on the mantra.
How To Do It:
- Sitting on the heels in rock pose, interlace the fingers with the Jupiter (Index) fingers pointing straight up.
- Cross the thumbs: Females cross left over right and Males cross right over left.
- Raise the arms straight up and rotate the upper arms inward so that the arms are hugging the ears.
- In this position you will chant the mantra “Sat Naam” in the following way:
- Pull the navel point in* as you chant “Sat!” (Sounds like ‘Sutt.’)
- Release the lock as you chant “Naam.” (Almost like a sigh with the sound “Naam”)
- *Author’s note: When you pull the navel point in, the root lock, known as Mulbandh, contracting the navel, sex organ and anus, will naturally happen. However, the focus is on pulling the navel point in. Earlier I had written that you pull mulbandh from the start. It’s a subtle difference and there is some discussion about it because both ways are technically correct, but the teaching from the book is: pull the navel point on Sat, release on Naam.
Finishing:
- At the end, inhale completely and hold, squeezing the root lock and the muscles of the back and shoulders for as long as you can. Imagine that you are sending the energy up through the top of the head. Exhale.
- Inhale and repeat above step one more time.
- Then inhale completely and exhale completely then hold the breath out long as you can, while pulling the root lock and squeezing the muscles of the back all the way up again.
- Inhale, and relax.
Time: 3 minutes up to 62 minutes.
*One option is to practice for 3 minutes, rest for two minutes and repeat two more times for a 15 minute exercise, which will build stamina and a foundation for longer practice.
Rest & Relaxation:
Try to relax for about the same amount of time as the exercise. This isn’t always possible but just remember, deep relaxation after this kriya is a must and nearly as important as the initial effort. The body’s systems need time to regenerate and reconstitute themselves. So use your judgement but always rest sufficiently after.
This is a pretty tough exercise when beginning kundalini yoga. Practiced over 40 days this kriya can provide countless health benefits. Don’t be overconfident. This is a powerful kundalini exercise and should be approached with reverence and respect. Start slowly and build up.
**A special note: Yogi Bhajan has said that you can do Sat Kriya with the palms flat against one another, but only if you’ve never done drugs (damaged the nervous system.) My teacher explained it further in this way: Since the fingers represent certain planetary aspects (Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Mercury) having them extended both releases and draws more of that energy in. If you’re not ready for it, then it’s like trying to drink out of a firehose. It’s a waste of time and inefficient. So unless you’ve practiced Sat Kriya for some time and you’ve also not done drugs in a while, then best to stick to the basics. There’s a lot to be learned in the way of mastery by starting from the basics and building up.
Some Finer Points of The Sat Kriya:
- Sat Kriya can be done quietly. This is probably the greatest boon to all dedicated Sat Kriya practitioners. Many people who consider doing Sat Kriya for an extended period of time, shy away because they inevitably see themselves in a situation where it would be inappropriate to chant too loud. The important part of the exercise is pulling the root lock and moving the navel. As long as you can hear yourself vibrate the Sat Naam mantra you’re still in line with the intent of the kriya. I’ve done it nearly silently in some situations. Now there’s no excuse. When you’re visiting your mother-in-law just take your sheepskin, go into the walk-in closet and get to it.
- When pulling the Mulbandh, I have noticed that pulling in on the navel first will cause the other two– sex organ and anus to contract in kind.
- You can go slow and easy at first– just by pulling in on the navel and watching the natural flow of it. I see my students, because they expect the kriya to be hard, they jerk the body and bounce up and down. This is totally unnecessary. These kriyas have subtle power in them. doing them is like driving a finely tuned automobile– if you do it right, it can be very smooth. So begin by just pulling in slowly on the navel and let the root lock follow. Once you’re warmed up and have some momentum you’ll really start to squeeze the root lock in rhythm.
- Relax the entire body except for the muscles you’re using. You’ll be surprised at the power that’s saved and recycled back into the kriya when you relax your shoulders and thighs and the other parts you’re tensing because your mind is having a fit. .. “How much longer are we going to do this? Are we going to die soon? What is this kundalini yoga anyway– is it really good for you? What kind of name is Sat Kriya anyway? Isn’t this a lot like a cult? What would your friends think of this stuff?” (please note your mind’s garbage chatter may be different!)
- Speaking of the mind… Sat Kriya is a great meditation for taming the mind. As the mind wanders, as in any meditation, just bring it back.
- Just let the breath follow naturally from the movement. I’ve heard many people say different things about the breath, but if you just chant and pull the locks as prescribed, a breath will follow.
- Listen to your own sound. This goes for any chanting. The vibration of your own sound will take you deeper within yourself and the kriya will begin to teach you things.
- Really stretch the arms up and hug the ears and try continually to keep that posture perfect. Just as when the mind wanders you bring it back, when the posture slips, correct it. As you stretch up on the spine, you will get a different pull on the navel. It will be higher and more energy will go up especially around the heart. The hips will open more. Because Sat Kriya is difficult, people tend to shrink under the weight of it. This is another layer of meaning in Yogiji’s brilliant mantra: “Keep up and you will be kept up.” You’ll go deeper and you’ll be happy about it.
- Sat Kriya works both ways. I was sitting in a group workshop with my teacher and we were doing a sort of roundtable assessing each other and prescribing kriyas for individual sadahanas. My teacher had assessed this one young woman and said that coming from her eyes was a very powerful soul and that in order for her to bring that power more fully into her body and use it’s full potential, she should do Sat Kriya. Then he asked the group, “Why?” I have no idea where it came from, but before I knew it, I had said, “Because Sat Kriya works both ways.” And that was it. We normally think because of the posture, pointing up, that we’re taking the energy of the lower triangle through the heart and up through the subtle centers of the upper triangle. However, Sat Kriya actually works both ways. We’re also pulling the cosmic energy in through the crown and down and circulating it back up. That’s another one of the brilliant wonders of the technology that is Sat Kriya and moreover, Kundalini Yoga.
- Always use the mantra Sat Naam, as it is integral to this kriya. Sat Naam means, basically: “Truth is my whole identity.” Sat=”Inner truth,” and Naam =”the whole identity.” Another way of looking at it is, “I agree to the truth within.” Mantra is a projection of the mind using sound, so basically this mantra vibrates the higher self in the sub-conscious so that later, when you’re re-engaged in the world, the mind is reverberating on the truth of the self, on auto-pilot, working for you.
- Mama said there’d be days like this… If doing the kriya for an extended period of time, just know you’re gonna have good days and bad days, just like life. Keep up and you will be kept up. The only way to have any real experience is to do something and master it over time. It’s the only way to truly know something. So dive in, the water is fine. Sat Kriya is one of the premiere kundalini yoga exercises because it covers everything and moves the energy very quickly. Use it on your way to self-mastery.
A Few of The Benefits of The Sat Kriya:
- Rock pose (sitting on the heels) is the basis of Sat Kriya and it aids digestion… it is said that sitting on the heels one can digest rocks, hence the name. This pose combined with the tension of the Mulbandh (root lock) further stimulates the stomach, intestines and the overall digestive tract.
- Sat Kriya directly stimulates the sexual-creative energy and redirects that energy upward, through the upper chakras causing a balancing of the energy system. This redirected sexual energy is very healing to the entire body.
- Balances the shadow aspects of overactive sex drive and sexual phobias through this redirecting of the sexual creative energy through the heart and upper chakras, which relate to the transcendant god-aspect of the human being. This physical movement of the sexual energy upward becomes a meditation which causes you to look upon the others with the perspective of the heart and the grace of the higher self, as opposed to an object of sexual desire only.
- Stimulates the glandular (endocrine) system, particularly the lymph glands which remove toxins from the body.
- Strengthens the heart through the rhythmic increase in blood pressure which results from the pumping movement of the navel point.
- Increases and strengthens the nervous system for overall well-being and radiance.
- Makes you look good… especially if you follow the tips to good posture outlined above.
The Yoga Boot Camp Sat Kriya Challenge:
Do Sat Kriya for a minimum of three minutes daily for a period of forty days and record your experiences. Come back and share them here as comments on this page.
Jai Gopal
23 Feb 2011Gurudeep,
That’s great news and a great example for the comments here. I was amazed at how powerful Sat Kriya was for me when I started doing it and it’s good for people to know that 3 minutes a day can bring powerful transformation. Keep up, it’s worth it. Thanks again for sharing your experience. — Jai Gopal
Jai Gopal
23 Feb 2011Hi Gurudeep,
Glad you’re enjoying the site and having a good experience. That’s why we put it up. To answer your questions… the short answer is, in my experience yes, I have seen students and peers helped alleviate depression and eliminate panic attacks with Sat Kriya. A panic attack is when a state of fear cripples the energy by compressing it very rapidly. Essentially the fearful thoughts (which are basically electro-magnetic) become so powerful that they short circuit the person’s energy and cause a shut down. Deep breathing will help alleviate the effects of a panic attack immediately and regular pranayam (strengthening breath exercises) will help prevent it in the future. Sat Kriya is good for this because it pumps the navel and expands the energy field by rapidly raising the kundalini. Depression can also be helped by Sat Kriya because the expanded energy and stimulation of the glands in the brain balances the blood chemistry and causes feelings of well being. It’s my experience that a regular practice of Sat Kriya can improve a state of depression.
Gurudeep
2 Mar 2011Thank you so much Jai Gopal! I so appreciate you taking the time to write back to all three of my posts. I am loving Sat Kriya still, and I am trusting in the power of it to bring me what I need! Thank you so much again! Sat Nam!
Paula
2 Mar 2011Hello all,
Last year I did a 120 day discipline and several 40 day disciplines. I am working with it again after a 2 month break.
I think I stopped working with it because I felt like I wasn’t getting anything out of it but maybe that was an excuse. I think because I worked with it a lot, not much was happening as it was in the beginning, where I felt more stuff coming up. I think maybe I was experiencing different things because I’ve cleared a lot. I guess maybe I expected the same amount of clearing and feelings but I think I just need to accept that now I’m in a different place when I work with that kriya.
So lately for the past few weeks, I started to experience more positive feelings. I would still cry when I experienced these feelings, which I still don’t understand why. First I felt like I was destined for greatness. A few days ago I felt like I was unique and recently that I am master of my domain (i.e. I can direct my life and have self control). I don’t know why I cried at these realizations because they were positive but it reminds me of this Marianne Williamson quote about how we are most afraid of our light and not our darkness. So maybe this was why I have been crying? I am not sure at this point but will continue to work with this kriya.
I am working with it for 11 minutes but wonder too if I need to push myself more. I’ve managed to do 31 minutes twice and probably have done 22 minutes many times but I don’t know if I am ‘stuck’ at 11 minutes or if I doing okay with this time.
Willem-Jan Bouman
30 Mar 2011I think you’r making a mistake here. The eyes with sat kriya are closed and focused at the third-eye point, they shouldn’t be directed at the tip of the nose.
Sat nam.
Luana
18 Apr 2011Hi.
I just started with Sat Kriya and felt major changes in my personality and my view of the world. Interesting, indeed. I will surely continue with this and slowly but surely reach the 31 minute regime. Now, my question is, due to problem with the knees, if there is another possibility to follow through the Sat Kriya in an other position that doesn’t put so much pressure on the knees. Can one do it standing up, or laying down?
Luana
Gurudeep
25 Apr 2011Hello Jai Gopal,
I have kept up with Sat kriya, and have been kept up as well. I was able to move up to 7 minutes from the 3 minutes. I feel great. I am almost at 90 days, and I don’t see a reason right now to change meditations. My current goal is to go to 11 minutes. I am wondering if Sat Kriya can help with weight loss? I particularly carry fat in my hips and thighs? Thanks for your help! By the way, thank you for that interesting information on panic attacks.
Gurudeep
27 Apr 2011Is Sat Kriya effective to heal inner anger as well?
Jai Gopal
6 Jun 2011Sat Nam Luana,
If you have knee problems you can definitely adjust the posture and sit in easy pose. It’s also done in full lotus pose but if the knees are a problem then that might be out. I’ve heard of it being done lying down as well. It sounds like you’ve been doing it already for at least a little while. I will say that my legs and knees hurt to some degree each time I do it. It’s par for the course. However you’re the only one who can judge. That’s the big challenge with this kriya– the rock pose becomes a challenge the longer you decide to do it. Ultimately it’s like any other meditation: the more still and steady you can become, the more the subtle benefits of the kundalini are going to hit those spots that need it. The mind is always going to fight you and it gets craftier and more amazing in its ability to try to talk you out of going on or to distract you. My teacher always says, “Sure the legs fall asleep, but they wake up again.” Slow and steady wins the race and you’ve got the rest of your life to perfect it– err on the side of caution and modify the posture, but also check and see if you can’t stretch a little bit and go past the mind- where all pain comes from anyway.
Jai Gopal
6 Jun 2011Sat Nam Willem,
Thanks for your comment. I checked around, and I can’t find the eye focus specified in the write-ups I’ve seen (Sadhana Guidelines, Aquarian Teacher level 1.) In the write-ups I’ve seen there isn’t any specific eye focus mentioned. So I guess we’re both wrong or both right depending on how you look at it. I have removed the eye focus from the text above to be more in line with the Sadhana Guidelines, which I think is a good source. I also asked a friend who teaches Sat Kriya workshops and she said she believes the eye focus is as you stated, eyes closed focused at the 3rd eye. I will keep looking and asking around to see if there’s any audio or video of Yogi Bhajan teaching it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. It’s important to be as accurate as possible with Kundalini kriyas and meditations so I appreciate your checking my work. If you have a write-up that has an eye focus I’d love to see it.
Sergey
19 Jun 2011Thank you very much Jai Gopal for posting this up and everyone who has shared their helpful experiences!
I’ve only found your site yesterday and after doing about 5-6 minutes of Sat kriya i was sweating like hell which is incredible ’cause sometimes i dont even sweat like that when i work out and i finally collapsed and did feel emotions coming out, its hard to tell after first try but its almost like i’ve experienced negative emotions coming out, felt sad for a brief period of time and then felt a lasting blissful relaxed feeling!
I’ve make an analogy if you will. I feel like Neo from The Matrix whos been looking for something his entire life just didnt know what it was, well thats me, i’ve been looking for Sat Kriya and yoga discipline in general to strengthen my life. Now i found it. I’ve been looking for a cure for my chronic masturbation and depression. Was told that nothing is more powerful then Sat Kriya when it comes to converting your sexual energy into mental.
I’m 26 btw and from Russia. Completely stopped playing computer games and watching porn for more then 2 month already, almost quit drinking and i’ve never smoked in my life, have been working out regularly for last 30 days and now i’ve found one last missing piece of my enlightenment. Thank you once again. I’ll post some time later about the results. God Bless.
LoriLynn
22 Jun 2011I suffer from hypoglycemia which makes me overheat and sweat really easily. I have been doing Sat Nam kriya for a couple of weeks (only up to 4 minutes) and by minute 3 I am sweating profusely. I know I perspire easily but is it normal to get so heated?
Vivek Sankrit
10 Jul 2011As I wanted to practice Sat Kriya, so googled out many inofrmations… I Found out this site to be a lot informative. Have decided to carry out it from today 🙂 Breath movement while finishing is provided.. Can you please guide me with the rhythm of breath while reciting the mantra? Should the breath be Normal, Fast or slow and deep?
myss
18 Jul 2011Thank you so much for sharing all your experiences with us. May you live in grace. Sat nam.
Jai Gopal
26 Jul 2011Sat Nam Vivek,
Don’t worry about the breath. Just pull the lock as you chant “Sat” and release it on “Nam.” The breath will take care of itself and eventually you won’t even think about it.
Good Luck!
Jai Gopal
26 Jul 2011Hi Lori Lynn
Yes, it’s perfectly normal to get heated and sweating is good for the body. Sat Kriya realigns all the systems of the body so what doesn’t belong or serve you gets released or “burned away” and that’s likely what you’re experiencing with the sweating.
However, as we always say– we don’t give medical advice on here, so be sure and consult your doctor if you have a pre-existing condition. Starting with just 4 minutes is a good idea. We advocate beginning slowly and building up. Sat Kriya is a powerful exercise and you’ll definitely benefit with every little bit you do. Sat Nam.
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Susan
22 Sep 2011Hello,
I have been doing Sat Kriya now for 6 or 7 days and I have to say I am feeling a lot of saddness and grief. I didnt at first but the last 3 days it has gotten pretty intense so much that I didnt want to go to work today and cant wait to leave to go journal or do whatever to release all these feelings. Is this normal? I did just move out of a city that I was living for, for 7 years and not sure if it is saddness from the move. I started with 4 min and add a min. a day so I am up to 12 min. which I did yesterday and I only did 4 min, this morning……
Jai Gopal
10 Oct 2011Hi Susan,
Everything you’re describing is perfectly normal. It’s cleaning house and as tough a job as that may be, it’s better out than in. Kundalini works fast so sometimes we don’t understand what is happening until some time has gone by. Writing about the experience is a good outlet. Keep going and keep up. Stay with the practice. The benefits far outweigh any of the turbulence along the way. Sat Nam.
Tamara
1 Jan 2012MY teacher in Colorado suggested Sat Kriya to me and I began a 40 day practice, but missed a day around #35, and thought I could just add a day to the end day…..but she informed that I begin again as not to have an interruption in the 40 days. Now maybe I am 2 weeks into the second round.
It has gotten gradually more comfortable day by day, (yes I have some difficult emotional days that arose) but the energy has increased in intensity and I do not get as hot or sweaty. It has become something I actually enjoy at times….although when I began I also thought I would never survive! I am now considering keeping this kriya past the 40 days. Thank you for your comments, I am grateful for more guidance. Sat Nam!